Xmen: Aftermath
by transmetvox
Summary: This story picks up six months after the events in X3. In part 1, Storm and Wolverine are deciding what to do about Colossus, Angel, Shadowcat and Iceman, when they're interrupted by a call from Moira Mactaggert on Muir Island.


X-MEN: AFTERMATH

All characters and copyrights owned by Marvel Enterprises

Part 1

Ororo Munroe felt like she was in over her head.

In the years since her mutant talent to control all aspects of the weather manifested, Ororo also called Storm, had been in many a tight spot; be it a Danger Room session or a slugfest with the latest bad guy of the week. She'd learned to cope and her confidence grew as she overcame each obstacle. She had to be confident and in control since the weather around her tended to reflect whatever emotional state she was in.Case in point: the forecast called for mostly sunny skies with clouds clearing as the evening wore on. The sky outside Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters was overcast and there was a rumble of thunder in the distance.

Ororo's eyes, a rich cobalt blue that no other African-American possessed, bled to white as she reached out to the weather. She perceived the energy patterns that made up the burgeoning storm and she smoothed them out and the sun shined brightly on 1407 Graymalkin Lane once again. She turned her attention back to the lists, bills and other assorted paperwork headaches that the Headmaster, or in this case, Headmistress, had to endure to ensure the school ran smoothly. Once upon a time, she only had to prepare lesson plans. Now she had to deal with schedules, field trips, disciplinary actions and complaints from the students as well as the senior staff.

Until recently, there had only herself and Logan, since the events that everyone at the school had started calling the "Last Stand of the Mutants", culminated in the deaths of Scott Summers, Jean Grey and Professor Charles Xavier, which left a hole in the teaching roll and in Ororo and Logan's hearts. Ororo had contacted Dr. Moira Mactaggert, an old friend of the Professors' for possible candidates to replace the empty slots. Moira, bless her heart, had the perfect people in mind.

Sean Cassidy, another associate of Xavier's and a former agent of Interpol, was a mutant with the ability to produce a high pitched sonic scream reminiscent to the legendary Banshees of Ireland, his home country. He brought a fatherly influence as well as a warmth and generosity of spirit with him. He could relate very well to all of the students and keep the more rambunctious or downright rebellious students in line. In a scrap, there was no one better to have at your back than Wolverine, but his gruff exterior kept the students at arms length at best. With Sean, they could actually confide in him and approach him without fear of possibly getting their heads lopped off.

Shiro Yashida, Daimyo, or Lord, of the Yashida Clan, a family second only to the Emperor of Japan in power, was next on the list. At first, Ororo couldn't stand him. Yes, he was handsome and knowledgeable in the use of his abilities to generate and control fire, but Shiro tended to give the impression that he looked down on everyone. No one at Xavier's was his equal and he cared little about who knew it. He held a special sort of contempt for Ororo simply because she was a woman and he believed that a woman was in no way able to lead as well as a man in the field or as headmaster of the school. In response, she proposed a challenge: a no-powers, strictly physical, sparring match. The winner would be head of the school and field leader of the X-Men. Shiro took the challenge and it was a very spirited duel. Both of them were pretty evenly matched, since Logan had worked with Ororo in hand-to-hand combat and Shiro was a samurai. Shiro assumed that Ororo would be an easy mark and that the fight would be quick and to the point. It was. But Ororo came out on top. (Literally.) After that, Shiro was the soul of cooperation and, like any good samurai, would stand by Ororo and offer up his life if it was demanded of him.

The last person on Moira's short list was a young woman named Sage. Ororo checked the Professor's files, but there was precious little information about this mysterious young woman. According to the file, Sage was one of Charles' students he worked with before he'd met Jean Grey, before the school was founded. She possessed an uncanny ability to recall anything she'd read or heard, could process information quicker than the fastest computer processor and had an indomitable will that was equal to the Professor's. He also noted that Sage was able to use the other ninety percent of her brain capacity that most humans or her fellow mutants never tapped into. Potentially, Sage could control her bodily functions, like breathing and sleeping, all through the power of her mind.

Sage, in the interim, had grown into her potential quite nicely. She worked with Dr. Mactaggert at Muir Island Research Center and designed the shared computer network at Muir and Xavier's from motherboards down to operating systems. Ororo never quite believed that the tall, dark haired beauty that currently stayed in one of the school towers, aloof from everyone around her, did all this. When she saw Sage in action, simultaneously updating the schools' security measures, up-linking to Muir and reconfiguring Cerebro for non-telepaths to use, Ororo quickly changed her opinion.

The new members of the senior teaching staff fit into Xavier's very quickly and found their own niches as teachers and as part of the X-men. Since, the slots for the team were filled, Storm planned for Bobby Drake, Piotr Nikolaivich Rasputin, Warren Worthington III and Kitty Pryde, the youngest members of the team, to be placed in a team of students whose next step was to either graduate from the school or become X-Men themselves. As expected, there were protests from the kids. But, they weren't the only ones protesting that decision.

"You're makin' a mistake, 'Ro." Logan said as he lit a cigar.

"I thought I said there was no smoking inside of the school?" Ororo said. A tiny rain storm sprang to life above the cigar and doused the end of it.

Logan growled to himself and put the cigar away. "You're worse than Charley."

Storm grinned and turned her attention to the list in her hand.

"You're wrong for kickin' them off the team."

"I haven't 'kicked' them off the team, Logan." Ororo said. "They're still students here and they have the chance to become X-Men when they're ready."

"They are ready." Logan snapped. "Bobby, Pete, Kitty and Warren handled themselves like professionals against Magneto's bunch. Hell, Kitty faced the Juggernaut down and lived to tell about it."

"Yes, all of them fought well and displayed a maturity beyond their years." Ororo agreed. "But, for all their maturity, they are still children, Logan."

"So were most of the Union and Confederate soldiers in the Civil War. They knew what they were getting' into when they started training with you, 'Ro. Demotin' them to some kind of junior X-men is telling them that all the sacrifices they made to get where they are meant nothin'."

"It was a matter of necessity that they were moved up to the team at all." Storm spat. "Jean was dead as was the Professor and Scott was no use to us then. There was no one else." Ororo buried her face in her hands and took a deep shuddering breath. Logan closed the space between them and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"We were lucky, Logan. Things could have gone very differently against Magneto." Ororo stated. Logan handed her a tissue and she dried her eyes.

"What if one of them hadn't made it? I don't want to be the one to tell any of their parents that their child is dead because I placed them in harm's way." Ororo turned towards the window. "Being an X-Man is a responsibility, a risk I chose freely, with all the consequences that go with it. It's not something to throw onto children who are barely coming to terms with themselves and their talents."

"Don't y'think I know that?" Logan asked. "Don't y'think every one of those kids knew what they were getting' into? Except for Worthington, the Professor recruited each of them. He didn't do that by chance, 'Ro. He knew they were ready primed for the life before they walked through our door. That's why he cleared them to train with you; they were ready." Ororo didn't respond.

Logan noticed her gaze was fixed on the two grave makers that flanked the small obelisk in the garden. A small explosion of pain flared inside of him. Everyday, memories of Scott's last words, the Professor's serene, grinning face before being dissipated into atoms and Jean's look of gratitude when his claws struck home, flowed into is mind. As hard as it was for him to lose them, especially Jean, he knew Ororo's loss cut deeper than even his claws ever could. She had lost a brother, a father and a sister in less than a week's time and with all the power at her command, she was unable to do anything about it.

"I miss 'em, too, darlin'." Logan said.

"Scott should be sitting in this chair." Ororo whispered. "The Professor always considered him the son of his heart, if not of his body. If anything were to happen to Charles, he wanted Scott to continue the work, to keep the dream alive." Ororo looked at Logan, tears shimmering in her eyes. "Sometimes, I make a decision and wonder if Scott would have handled it the same way. He left such large shoes to fill and I feel woefully inadequate to the task."

"Don't second guess yourself, darlin'. You'll drive yerself batty if y'do. Charley knew what he was doin', leavin' you in charge. Once Jean…died, Scott wasn't truly there for us anymore. A part of him died with her. Charley knew you'd do what needed to be done to keep the school going. You've done that. Hell, you beat Shiro, a true samurai, to keep your post. You could've let it go then, but you didn't. That says a lot about you, 'Ro." Logan knelt in front of Ororo and held her hand. "You're not alone here. We, all of us here, students and teachers, believe in you. We've got your back, darlin'."

Ororo's grip tightened. "Am I worthy of such trust, my friend?"

"Wouldn't be here otherwise, 'Ro." Logan gave Ororo a roguish grin. "Besides, weren't you the one who told McCoy that the school wasn't going to close when he suggested it?"

Ororo grinned. "Yes, I did."

"'Nuff said, 'Ro. 'Nuff said."

"Excuse me…?" a female voice said. Logan and Ororo turned and saw Sage standing before them. She was almost Ororo's match in height and her pale skin was a stark contrast to the dark hair that fell to her shoulders. She wore one of the special x-uniforms and a pair of shades that put her in instant contact with all of the computer and security systems in the mansion. She was also slightly transparent which told Storm and Wolverine that it wasn't really Sage at all, but a holographic projection.

"Yes?" Ororo answered.

"There's an incoming video call from Muir Isle for you."

"Thank you, Sage, I'll take it on the computer."

"Routing the call." Sage stated and disappeared. Ororo turned on the computer monitor and Moira Mactaggert's face filled the screen.

"Good morning, Moira."

"Ye mean good afternoon, lass." Moira answered with a noticeable Scottish burr.

"Hiya, Moira."

"Logan. Good t' see ye."

"Likewise."

"To what do we owe the honor?" Ororo asked. "Calling to check up on Sean?"

Moira grinned and shook her head. "No. I need you an' Logan t'come to Muir."

"What's wrong?" Ororo asked.

"It's best if I tell ye in person."

"I don't understand."

"Trust me." Moira began. "It's nothing bad or unpleasant, but I canna talk abou' it over the airwaves. Jus' come ta Muir an' I'll tell ye what's goin' on."

End of Part 1


End file.
